PressBox recently chatted with Towson men’s lacrosse graduate student Josh Webber about what makes his high school coach so successful, the Tigers’ big season a year ago and more. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound midfielder scored 20 goals, dished out 14 assists and picked up 19 ground balls in 2024. Webber is a native of Sykesville, Md., and graduate of Calvert Hall.
PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?
Josh Webber: Growing up, I didn’t really come from a huge lacrosse family, but my brother got into it. He’s about four years older than me. He just started with rec, and I always kind of looked up to him growing up. That’s where I found it. He also played football, so I followed that route too. Over time, I kind of fell in love with it. I had a lot of friends at the time into it, a lot of friends’ parents who were willing to coach. … [Eventually] I found the opportunity to advance to Calvert Hall to attend high school — a little bit far away from where I’m from, but it was definitely a great opportunity. I think that’s definitely how I got the opportunity to be at Towson.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
JW: That’s a hard one. Ryan Brown at Hopkins, he grew up in the same area that I am from, so I always watched him and saw he developed and played the game, especially at the college level. I wouldn’t say I relate too much to him in my style of play, but he definitely kept the game exciting for Hopkins. Watching him really motivated me to grow as a player and learn different skill sets and grow myself into someone that wants to play at the college level. He was definitely a big part of that.
PB: What are your favorite memories at Calvert Hall?
JW: It’s definitely got to be winning the MIAA championship. When I was there, we won it my freshman year, my sophomore year and my junior year. Unfortunately COVID kind of ruined the four-peat at the time. I made varsity my sophomore year, so winning those two my sophomore and junior year had to be the highlights. It was just the best time there and the best moments that I experienced there.
PB: What’s the secret sauce for Calvert Hall head coach Bryan Kelly? Why is his program so successful?
JW: He’s just very personable. You can talk to him about anything. There’s not a moment that he wouldn’t take the chance to help you out when there’s a time of need. He knows so much about the game. He knows so much about life and his experiences. He knows how to build not only someone’s character but he knows how to build them on the field as well. He’s such a great coach. He gives everybody a shot. He’s willing to take a chance on somebody. I definitely think he took a chance on me. I don’t think he knew me that well coming in, but I would say my career there was definitely successful because of the way he was able to take that chance and then he treated everybody the same and was able to build everybody up with his knowledge and his intelligence and his personality.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Towson?
JW: I’ve always wanted to be local. I enjoy being in the Towson area and the Baltimore area, going to Calvert [Hall]. I always went to Towson games, watched them. When I got the opportunity to visit and check it out, I fell in love with it even more. The coaching staff is incredible. The players that have been in and out of there have been nothing but supportive and helped me through the process. The community aspect and the family aspect is definitely something that I harp on a ton. That’s definitely what I saw at Towson.
PB: You missed your entire freshman season due to injury. What happened?
JW: I tore [the labrum in my left shoulder] around the February time of my freshman year. That definitely set me back, but looking back on it now it gave me the opportunity to come back this year, which I’m nothing but grateful for. It was just unfortunate circumstances at the time, but I think [in the end], it gave me the opportunity that I have now. Honestly I can be thankful for it in a way that it gave me this opportunity now.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at Towson so far?
JW: It’s got to be last year, winning the CAA — especially being older [given] the years before that and how that all went. At the time, I didn’t know if I was coming back. It was my last kind of go-round. There was nothing in mind but that championship and moving past that. That memory will be in my mind and my heart forever. It was probably the best experience of my life so far. It was just amazing.
PB: What made last year’s 13-4 season possible?
JW: I think it was the chemistry between the team. Something about last year was just different. Everyone meshed together so well. Everyone got along. Not saying it wasn’t that way in the past years, but I think last year something sparked. I think going through the years before that and really getting comfortable with each other, that definitely helped grow us all as a team and eventually meet that goal. The chemistry is the biggest thing. I think if you ask a lot of the guys on the team they’ll kind of say the same thing. The connection we all had made it a very special group.
PB: What is your favorite thing about Towson the town?
JW: I love food, so I would say there are definitely options for food. There are so many restaurants and spots to hang out and watch other sports, watch games and build that connection between each other. It’s definitely something special and there are so many opportunities and so many things in the Towson-Baltimore area, including Ravens games and Orioles games. There are just so many aspects to it that make it such a special spot and allow people to connect outside of school and lacrosse.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
JW: I’ve got to go with Connor Slein. He’s one of my roommates now and he’s been my roommate since freshman year back in the dorms. We have so many memories together. I went Calvert Hall, he went to St. Paul’s and he was very close but it really made it a special time building our relationship over the years, living together. We’ve had each other’s backs for the past five years now, so that’s definitely my biggest relationship on the team.
PB: Who did you look up to when you first got to Towson?
JW: I’ve got to say Ryan Swain. He went to Calvert Hall also, so I knew him beforehand but he definitely took me under his wing from the start. He taught me so much about what it means to be a Tiger, what it means to run within the offense and how to build my game up to be where it is now. He was the one person that I would always go to for questions. No matter what happened or how I played, whether it’s good or bad, he would always have my back and always guide me through the whole process because he was two years older than me. He knew the process well and definitely helped me through that.
PB: What advice do you have for younger players going through the recruiting process?
JW: Don’t get discouraged. I would say there will always be a place for you as long as you put in the work. I think that’s the biggest thing that I harp on is never be lackadaisical on the field. Put your all into everything. I truly believe that working hard and putting your best foot forward will make you successful in the end. Never give up. I’m not the biggest and I don’t exactly fit the ideal picture of a good lacrosse player, but I definitely have that work ethic that I’ll just never give up and I’ll put my all forward every time.
PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
JW: After lacrosse, I’m looking to go into wealth management and finance. I love talking to people. I love helping out people in areas that they’re not totally sure about or don’t fully understand. Realistically, money runs the world, so being able to help people out financially is definitely my end goal.
Photo Credit: John Bowers
Issue 291: February / March 2025
Originally published Feb. 19, 2025